Accounting system for fuel dispensing equipment



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f 1%, l w N l +R u r l INVENTORS HERBERT G. RYAN g GEORGE sf. ORSTEN h ATTORNEYS May 5, 1970 H. G. RYAN ETAL 3,510,630

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM FOR FUEL DIsPENsING EQUIPMENT Filed March ll,k 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y" T 1 ENTORS HERBERT G. RYAN N j GEORGE sT- oRsTEN 5 i @KZ/'M7 ya l z. ATTORNEYS H. G. RYAN ETAI- May 5, 1970 l ACCOUNTING SYSTEM FUR FUEL nIsPEnsING EQUIPMENT Filed Maron 11. 196e .'5 Sheets-Sheet 3 wm U N N U www G f EN @W H Y, U

w f||m`mmlj P Nml www ATTORNEYS llalill U.S. Cl. 23S-92 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fuel dispensing system with four separate fuel pumps adapted to be activated for delivering fuel by a multiplekey lock mechanism having a key for each of a large number of accountable parties. A plurality of lock mechanism switches are selectively actuated in different combinations by the keys to provide a binary signal representative of the key used, and NOR circuits provide for generating individual signals corresponding to the binary signals respectively. A stepping switch with six banks of electrical contacts has a first bank of contacts individually energized by the individual signals, and a control circuit provides for de-energizing the stepping switch (and for energizing the fuel pumps through a second contact bank) when the stepping switch engages the energized contact of the first contact bank. The remaining four contact banks of the stepping switch provide for connecting pulse generators of the four fuel pumps with four counters corresponding to the key used for separately recording the amount of uid delivered with each of the four fuel pumps with each of the keys.

In a modified two pump system the barrel of the multiple-key lock is operable in opposite angular directions Iby the operative key to selectively activate the pumps in accordance with the angular direction the barrel is rotated.

The present invention relates to accounting systems for accounting for the quantity and/ or the cost of the fuel delivered by fuel dispensing equipment and having particular utility for accounting for the bulk delivery of one or more fuel products to a number of bulk customers.

It is a primary aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved key operated accounting system for fuel dispensing equipment which will provide an automatic and continuous accounting of the quantity and/ or the cost of the fuel delivery of each accountable party using the dispensing equipment.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved accounting system for fuel dispensing equipment which is usable with dispensing apparatus adapted for dispensing one or two or more separate fuel products for accounting for the delivery of each of the separate fuel products of each of the accountable parties.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a key operated accounting system which is usable with two or more separate fuel products and which is adapted to be preset, as by the proprietor of the gasoline dispensing equipment to selectively control the availability of the fuel products to each customer. For example where the accounting system is used with dispensing equipment which is employed for the bulk delivery of kerosene, fuel oil, and one or more grades of gasoline and with which certain bulk customers may desire to purchase kerosene and/or fuel oil only and other bulk customers may desire to purchase only the grades of gasoline which are available, the accounting system of the present invention can be readily preset to limit the availability of the several products in accordance with the needs of each customer.

United States Patent @thee 3,510,630 Patented May 5, 1970 A further aim of the present invention is to provide a key operated accounting system for fuel dispensing apparatus which enables the fuel dispensing apparatus to be activated for delivering fuel by key holders only and which therefore may be left 4unattended without the risk of unauthorized delivery of fuel.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved accounting system of the type described which may be installed remotely of the fuel dispensing equipment.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a iiexible accounting system which is adapted to handle a number of authorized customers and which can be readily reset to terminate the use of the fuel dispensing equipment by a previously authorized customer, as for example when the customer is in arrear in his payment for prior fuel deliveries.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved key operated accounting system for fuel dispensing equipment.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGS- l and 2 are partial schematics, partly broken away of a fuel dispensing system incorporating an embodiment of the accounting system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a generally front end view, partly broken away, of a lock operated switching mechanism employed in the accounting system;

FIG. 4 is a partial top view of the lock operated switching mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a partial schematic of a modified accounting system.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals represent like parts, and in particular to FIGS. l-4, an embodiment of the accounting system of the present invention is shown employed for accounting for the fuel deliveries of each of four separate fuel dispensing pumps 6-9 to each of one hundred twenty-seven accounta'ble parties. The fuel pumps 69 may be employed for example to dispense the same grade of gasoline, or four different grades of gasoline, or employed to dispense kerosene, fuel oil, and two grades of gasoline, and where desired, the accounting system could be used with one or more additonal pumps as where the additional pumps were desired because of a greater demand for the use of the fuel pumps and/or because of the need for more grades or types of fuel.

The embodiment of the accounting system shown in FIGS. 1-4 is adapted to be independently operated by each of a number of authorized parties and to automatically and continuously account for the amounts of each of the fuel deliveries of each of the authorized parties and accordingly has particular usefulness in the bulk delivery of fuels from a bulk supply station to a number of bulk customers.

The fuel pumps 6-9 may be provided in a conventional manner with suitable fuel dispensing hoses and nozzles 12 for delivering fuel with the respective pumps, and with suitable pulse generators 14 having cams 16 and cam operated switches 18 for generating a pulse for each predetermined quantity or cost of fuel delivered by the respective pump.

The accounting system is shown employing electrical circuitry having a transformer 20 and a full wave rectier 22 to provide a 12 volt DC bus 24 which is used to power the various components of the accounting system. A suitable relay circuit 30 is provided for each of the pumps 6-9 which includes a relay switch 32 for pulsing transistor relays 36 in accordance with the number of pulses generated by the pulse generators 14 respectively.

A sequential switching system is employed in the accounting system for selectively activating the accounting system in accordance with the accountable party operating the fuel dispensing equipment in order to record the fuel deliveries of each of the accountable parties and in order to make the fuel pumps 69 selectively available to the accountable parties. The sequential switching system is shown provided in the present embodiment by an electro-mechanical stepping switch 40 although suitable electronic stepping equipment could be used instead. The electro-mechanical stepping switch 40 is shown having six parallel contact banks 42-47 each with a number of contacts corresponding to the number of customers for which the accounting system is designed. Four of the contact banks 42-45 are provided for recording the delivery of each of the customers by each of the four pumps 6-9 respectively, and the two remaining contact banks 46-47 are respectively provided for controlling the activation of the pumps 6-9 and for controlling the operation of the stepping switch 40.

The stepping switch has an armature 51 with six rotary switch arms 52-57 which are mounted for selectively engaging the contacts 48 of the contact banks 42- 47. The rotary switch arms 52-55 are connected tov the transistor relays 36 respectively and the contacts 48 of the contact banks 42-45 are in turn connected to electromagnetically operated counters 60 of the banks of counters 62-65 respectively, it being seen that each of the contacts 48 of each contact bank is connected to a corresponding counter 60. Thus in any operative angular position of the rotary armature 51 the rotary switch arms 52-55 are positioned for connecting a counter 60 in each of the counter banks 62-65 with one of the transistor relays 36. The circuit is thereby conditioned so that the four magnetic counters so connected are adapted to be indexed to register the amount of fuel delivered by the four fuel pumps 6-9 respectively, the magnetic counters 60 of the bank 62 being adapted to register the amount of fuel delivered by the pump 6, etc. Therefore each operative angular position of the rotary armature 51 represents an authorized customer and the corresponding counters 60 which are connected for registering the amount of fuel delivered by the pumps 6 9 in each operative angular position of the armature are used to register the amount of fuel delivered to the corresponding customer, thus providing an accounting of the amount of fuel delivered to each customer with each pump, either as a result of a single delivery or a number of separate deliveries.

Referring to FIG. 2, the contacts 48 of the contact bank 46 are connected by conductors 66 to a product control matrix circuit generally denoted by the numeral 70 which comprises a plurality of entry conductors 72 to which the conductors 66 are respectively connected, four parallel product or exit conductors 74-77 extending transversely of the parallel entry conductors 72, and suitable ldiode pins 78 which may be readily manually installed and removed for selectively connecting the entry conductors 72 with the product conductors 74-77. The product conductors 74-77 are connected for energizing relays 80- 83 which -are employed for activating the fuel pumps 6 9 respectively. More particularly each of the relays 80-83 may be provided with a suitable switch 84 for energizing the fuel pump motor conventionally employed in fuel dispensing apparatus and a suitable switch 85 for actuating the electrically operated valve which may be employed for controlling the delivery of fuel. Thus each of the contacts 48 of the contact bank 46 is used for each of the authorized customers to activate one or more of the fuel pumps 6-9 in accordance with the selective installation of the diode pins 78 in the product control circuit 70. Accordingly, if a customer is interested in only one of four available products, a single diode pin 78 will be inserted in the product control circuit 70 for connecting the entry conductor 72 representing the particular customer with the relay for the pump which dispenses the desired product. Therefore by the appropriate use 0f the diode pins, the availability of each product to each customer can be readily controlled. Also where it is desired to terminate the customers use of the pumps 6-9 altogether, all of the diode pins 78 for the appropriate entry conductor 72 could be removed.

The contacts 48 of the contact bank 47 are adapted to be selectively energized one at a time by a selector circuit which includes a single multiple-key operated binary coded lock mechanism 102 having a key operated barrel 104 which is adapted to be turned in either angular direction from its neutral or lock position shown in FIG. 3. The lock mechanism is shown having seven key operated cams or switch actuators 106 which may be selectively key activated for rotation with the barrel 104 in accordance with the binary system. Thus the lock is adapted to be operated by one hundred twenty-seven (i.e., 27-1) different keys for selectively providing one hundred twenty-seven different cam combinations and therefore Aone hundred twenty-seven binary codes.

Seven switches 108 are mounted for actuation by the seven cams 106 respectively so that the switches 108 are open when the lock is in its neutral position as shown in full lines in FIG. 3 and so that the switches 108 are adapted to be closed by the respective cams when they are rotated with the lock barrel in either angular direction from their neutral position, to their operative angular position shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 4 the switches 108 are mounted in tWo parallel rows with the switches staggered to provide a more compact switch assembly. Nonetheless the cams and switches are arranged so that each switch is closed when the respective cam is angularly displaced from its neutral position in either angular direction. The lock mechanism 102 is also provided with a master cam or switch actuator 110 which is xed to the barrel 104 and a pair of master switches 112 which are adapted to be alternatively closed by the master cam 110 when the lock barrel is rotated in opposite angular directions, and preferably so that the selected vswitches 108 have been closed by the angular movement of the selected cams 106 before the master switch is closed.

The master switches 112 `are connected in parallel for completing the circuit between the 12 volt DC bus 24 and the switches 108. The selector switches 108 are in turn connected to suitable inverting amplifier circuits which provide for converting the switch selection into a binary out put in the binary conductors A, B, C, C, D, D, E, E, F, and G, The binary output is converted to a decimal output by suitable NOR circuits 126 having output conductors 128 which are adapted to be selectively energized, one at a time in accordance with the key employed for individually energizing the contacts 48 of the contact bank 47. Thus it can be seen that the -single multiple-key operated lock 102 is adapted to be operated by one hundred twenty-seven keys to provide one hundred twenty-seven distinct binary codes which are converted into decimal codes for selectively energizing the contacts 48 of the contact bank 47 The one hundred twenty-eighth binary code available in the fourteen wire binary system shown is established when all of the switches 108 are open and thus when the multiple key operated lock is inactive. Therefore a suitable NOR circuit 130 (FIG. 2) may be provided to energize a conductor 132 for energizing a ready signal lamp 134 (FIG. 1) when the lock mechanism 102 is inactive.

`Individual customer lock-out switches 136 are shown provided to enable the conductors 128 to be selectively shorted for assuring that the respective contact 48 of the bank 47 remains de-energized even when the corresponding combination of lock-operated switches 108 is operated by the appropriate key. Thus, the lock-out switches 136 provide for conditioning the circuit so that the pumps 6-9 cannot be activatedby the corresponding key. Such is useful where it is desirable to terminate the effectiveness of a key as for example when the customer holding the key is in arrears in his payment for prior deliveries or where the key has been lost.

It can be seen however that unless the lock-out switch 136 has been activated to short the corresponding conductor 128, a single contact 48 will be energized by each of the keys designed for the lock mechanism 102. A key can therefore be issued to each customer, and for each instance that the lock 102 is operated by each customers key a corresponding contact 48 of the contact bank 46 will be energized.

The armature 51 of the stepping switch 40 is rotated by an electromagnet 150 which is suitably connected for angularly 'indexing the rotary armature 51 in 1/2 step increments, (i.e.,onehalf the angular displacement between lthe angularly spaced contacts 48) and is provided with a suitable switching circuit 152 Which includes a transistor relay 153, a switch element 154 and a pair of switch contacts 156, 158 which are -alternately engaged by the switch element 154 as the armature is indexed in 1/2 step increments. 'I'he switch contact 156 is connected in series with a resistor 159' to the 12 -volt DC bus 24 to energize the electromagnet 150 when the rotary switch arms 52-57 of the armature 51 are intermediate the angularly spaced contacts 48.

A control circuit generally denoted by the numeral 160 provides for energizing the switch contact 158 when any one of the conductors 128 is energized and for maintaining the switch contact 158 energized until the rotary switch arm 62 makes contact with the contact 48 energized by the same conductor 128. The control circuit 160 is triggered by a conductor 162 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which is electrically connected to the individual customer conductors 128 through the diode transistors 164. Thus when any one of the individual customer conductors 128 is energized, the conductor 162 is energized to effect with the control circuit 160 energization of the switch contact 158. With both switch contacts 156, 158 energized the stepping switch armature continues to rotate in 1/2 step increments. However, when the rotary switch arm 57 reaches the contact 48 connected to the a-ctive customer conductor 128, a conductor 170 connected to the rotary switch arm 57 is energized to effect operation of the control circuit 160 to terminate the energization of the switch contact 158, thus terminating the rotation of the armature when the rotary switch arm 57 engages the contact 48 of the active individual customer conductor 128. At the same time, a conductor 172 is energized by the control circuit 160 to energize the corresponding entry conductor 72 of the product control circuit 70 via the rotary switch cam 56 and the contact 48 which corresponds to individual customer conductor 128. Accordingly the appropriate fuel pumps 6-9 are activated to permit the operator of the key lock 102 to deliver fuel from the authorized pumps 6-9. At the same time the magnetic counters 60 which correspond to the lock operator are connected to the pulse generators 16 to provide an accounting of the amount of fuel delivered with each of the pumps 6-9. When the particular customer has completed his delivery and has returned the lock barrel to its neutral position, the fuel pumps become deactivated and the stepping switch 40I remains inactive until a succeeding customer uses his key to energize another one of the individual customer conductors 128. which provides for resetting the accounting system in accordance with the key employed by the succeeding customer.

FIG. shows a way in which the above described accounting system could be modified for use with two fuel pumps. In this embodiment the master switches 112 operated by the master cam are connected to respective transistor relays 201 for permitting selective use of the two fuel pumps in accordance with the angular direction of rotation of the lock barrel. Thus by rotating the key to the right the circuit is conditioned for activating one of the fuel pumps and by rotating the key to the left the circuit is conditioned for activating the other fuel pump. The embodiment of FIG. 5 also employs a product control circuit 202 in the manner of the product control crcuit 70 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, although in this instance only two product conductors 204, 206 are of course necessary for the two fuel pumps.

It can therefore be seen that the accounting system of the present invention provides for accounting for the delivery of each of a number of accountable parties of one or two or more separate fuel products in accordance with the key employed to operate the system. Additionally the accounting system is adapted to be preset to limit the availability of the fuel products, as for example, to bulk customers and/or to prevent selected customers from using the dispensing equipment altogether. Further the accounting system of the present invention provides key lock and key lock operated circuitry which makes it possible to employ the accounting system for accounting for the deliveries of a large number of accountable parties.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An accounting system for fluid dispensing apparatus for accounting for the uid deliveries of a number of accountable parties comprising, delivery control means adapted to be activated for dispensing uid, delivery accounting means adapted to be selectively activated for accounting for the amount of the uid delivery of each of said accountable parties, and accounting control means individually operable for each of the accountable parties for selectively activating the delivery accounting means for accounting for the amount of the iluid deliveries of the accountable parties respectively and for activating the delivery control means for dispensing fluid, said accounting control means including a multiple-key lock mechanism having a plurality of lock operated switches and a plurality of keys assignable to the accountable parties respectively and individually operable one at a time in the lock mechanism for selectively actuating different combinations of the switches respectively, first electrical means controlled by the switches including a plurality of inverting amplifiers connected to the switches respectively for producing electrical signals in accordance with the binary system, and a plurality of NOR circuits for converting the electrical signals in the binary system to separate individual electrical signals for the accountable parties respectively; and second electrical means for operating the switching means with said individual electrical signals for selectively activating the delivery accounting means for accounting for the amount of the delivery of each of said accountable parties.

2. The accounting system of claim 1 further comprising party lock-out means for selectively deactivating the electrical signal means for discontinuing the eective use of the dispensing apparatus by selected accountable parties.

3. An accounting system for accounting for the fluid delivered to a number of customers with fluid dispensing apparatus, comprising delivery control means adapted to be activated for dispensing fluid, delivery accounting means adapted to be selectively activated for accounting for the amount of the uid delivered to each of the customers; and accounting control means including a multiple-key binary coded lock mechanism having a plurality of key operated switches and a plurality of keys assignable to the customers respectively and individually operable in the lock mechanism one at a time for selectively actuating different combinations of the switches respectively, rst electrical means controlled by the switches including a plurality of inverting amplifiers connected to the switches respectively for producing electrical signals in accordance with the binaryI system, and a plurality of NOR circuits for converting the electrical signals in the binary system to separate individual electrical signals for the customers respectively, and second electrical means for selectively activating the delivery accounting means with said individual electrical signals for accounting for thefluid delivered in accordance with the customer operating the lock mechanism.

`4. An accounting system for uid dispensing apparatus for accounting for the fluid deliveries of a number of accountable parties of each of two separate products cornprising, delivery control means adapted to be selectively activated for selectively dispensing each of the two separate fluid products, delivery accounting means adapted to be selectively activated for separately accounting for the amount of the uid delivery of each of the two separate iiuid products of each of said accountable parties, and accounting control means individually operable for each of the accountable parties for selectively activating the delivery accounting means for separately accounting for the amount of the uid deliveries of each of the two separate iluid products of each of the accountable parties respectively; the accounting control means comprising a multiple-key lock mechanism having a plurality of accounting control switches, a pair of master switches, a lock barrel rotatable in opposite angular directions from an inactive position for actuating the' control'switche's and for selective actuation of the master switches in accordance with the angular direction of -rotation of the lock barrel from its inactive position, and a plurality of keys assignable to the accountable parties respectively and individually operable for rotating the lock barrel for actuating different combinations of the accountingcontrol switches and for selectively actuating the master switches in accordance with angular direction of rotation of the barrel by the key, the master switches being connected for selective activation of the delivery control meansfor dispensing the two separate products respectively; and electrical means controlled by said accounting control switches for selectively activating the delivery accounting means for accounting for the amount of the uid delivery in accordance with the key used.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DARYL W. COOK, Primary Examiner R. F. GWUSE, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

ZOO-44; 222-26, 76, 153 

